Chamorro phrasebook

Chamorro, or Chamoru, is the native language of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Although the English language and Japanese language are commonplace on both Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands, people still use the Chamorro language. Chamorro is also used on the continental United States by immigrants and some of their descendants. The numbers of Chamorro speakers have declined in recent years, and the younger generations are less likely to know the language. The influence of English, Spanish, and Japanese have caused the language to become endangered. Various representatives from Guam have unsuccessfully lobbied the United States to take action to promote the language. A large number of Chamorro words have Spanish etymological roots (e.g. tenda "shop/store" from Spanish tienda), which may lead some to mistakenly conclude that the language is a Spanish Creole: However, Chamorro very much uses its loan words in a Micronesian way (eg: bumobola "playing ball" from bola "ball, play ball" with infix -um- and reduplication of root). However, Chamorro can also be considered a mixed language (Hispano-Austronesian) or a language that resulted of a contact and creolization process in the Mariana Islands. Modern Chamorro grammar has many elements of Spanish origin: articles, numbers, prepositions... There are approximately 50,000 to 75,000 speakers of Chamorro throughout the Marianas archipelago. It is still common among Chamorro households in the Northern Marianas, but fluency has greatly decreased among Guamanian Chamorros during the years of American rule in favor of (a largely pidginized) American English. Ancient Chamorro is still spoken in the northern islands like Pagan, Saipan, Luta, and Tinian. Pronunciation guide Vowels Chamorro has six distinct vowels. They are: å, a, i, e, u, and o. Note that å isn't usually distinguished in written Chamorro. Therefore you can't tell the difference between båba 'bad' and baba' 'open'. Å  like English a in car (IPA /a/) A  like English a in cat (IPA /æ/) I  like English ee in meet or i in pit. E  like English e in met or ee in meet or even i in pit. U  like English oo in tool or u in put. O  like English o in low or u in put. All vowels are cardinal, like in Spanish, not like in English. The vowels I and E are similar because I sounds like 'ee' in meet when stressed, or 'i' in pit when unstressed. E sounds like 'e' in met when stressed, 'ee' in meet when unstressed or even 'i' in pit when unstressed. U and O are similar because U sounds like 'oo' in tool when stressed, or 'u' in put when unstressed. O can sound like 'o' in low when stressed, or 'u' in put when unstressed. Consonants Chamorro has B- as in boy Ch- as in caBold textts D- as in de F- as in Feh G- as in Geh H- as in Heh (short e sound) K- as in Keh L- as in Leh M- as in Meh N- as in Neh N- like the 'n' in senora Ng O- as in "oh" P- as in "peh" R- as in reh S- as in seh T- as in teh U- as in oo in soon Y- as in tzeh Common diphthongs Phrase list Basics Hello!.  Håfa adai! (Hah-fuh-day) How are you?  Håfa tatatmanu hao? (Hah-fuh-tah-taht-mah-noo-How?) Good   Maolek (M-Ow-Lick) or Very Good : Todu maolek (toe do mau lek) What is your name?  Hayi na'an-mu? (Ha-zi-nuh-un-moo?) My name is John.  Guahu Si Juan.(Gwah-Hu-C-Wan.) or Si Juan Yu. (See-Wan-dzu.) Thank you.  Si Yu'us ma'ase. (C-zu-oohs-Muh-ah-sea) You're welcome.  Buen probechu. (Bwen-pro-bet-sue) Goodbye.  Adiós. (Ah-Deh-Oss) Good morning.  Buenas días. (Bwenas-Dee-as) Good evening.  Buenas tatdes. (Bwenas-taht-des) Good night.  Buenas noches. (Bwenas-no-tses) Good night (see you tomorrow)  Esta agupa'. (eh-stah-ah-goo-pah) Problems Note that the letter Y is pronounced more like 'dz' as it is in some dialects of Castilian Spanish, and that Ch is usually pronounced like 'ts' rather than 'tsh'. Note also that A and Å are not always distinguished in written Chamorro, often being written simply as 'A'; nor are N and Ñ always distinguished. Thus the Guamanian place name spelled Yona is pronounced 'dzo-nya', not 'yo-na' as might be expected. Numbers Current common Chamoru uses only number words of Spanish origin: unu, dos, tres, kuatro, sinko, sais, siette, ocho, nuebi, dies, onse, dose, trese, katotse, kinse, disesisáis...; beinte (benti), trenta, kuarenta, sinkuenta...: sien, dos sientos, tres sientos... kinientos...; mit, dos mit, tres mit... The Old Chamoru version used different number words based on categories: "Basic numbers" (for date, time, etc), "living things", "inanimate things", and "long objects". 1  uno 2  dos 3  tres 4  kuattro 5  singko 6  sais (but pronounced "sayce" 7  siette 8  ocho 9  nuebi 10  dies 11  onse 12  dosse 13  tresse 14  katotse 15  kinse 16  diesisais 17  diesisiette 18  diesiocho 19  diesinuebi 20  bente 30  trenta 40  kuarenta 50  singkuenta 60  sisenta 70  sitenta 80  ochenta 90  nubenta 100  siento 500  kinentos 1,000  mit 1,000,000  miyon Time Clock time ora Duration Days Sunday  damenggo Monday  lunes Tuesday  mattes Wednesday  metkoles Thursday  huebes Friday  betnes Saturday  sabalu Months Inero- January Ferbrero- February Matsu- March Abrit- April Mayu- May Junio- June Julio- July Agosto- August Septembre- September Oktubre- October Nubembre- Novemeber Dicembre- December Writing time and date Colors agaga' - red kulot kahet - orange amariyu - yellow betde - green asut - blue lila - purple kulot di rosa - pink kulot chukulati - brown apaka - white attelong - black Transportation Bus and train Car-Automobit Directions kattan - North luchan - South Lagu - West haya - East Taxi Lodging Money Salape - Money Eating MEATS guihan - fish uhang - shrimp pånglao - crab ayuyu (pronounced ah-zoo-zoo) - coconut crab asuli - eel påhgang - clam tapon - baby clam do'gas - sea shell mahongang - lobster kunehu - rabbit chåda' - egg påbu - turkey kåtne - beef månnok - chicken katnen babui - pork fritådan babui - pork chitterling fritådan guaka - beef chitterling fritådan månnok - chicken chitterling chachalon - pork rind STARCHES kamuti - sweet potatoes mendeoka - tapioca suni - taro lemmai - breadfruit nika - sweet yam batåtas - potatoes hineksa' - rice (cooked) pån - bread titiyas mai'es - corn tortilla titiyas arina - four tortilla pugas - uncooked rice OTHER INGREDIENTS donne' - pepper donne' pika - hot pepper plimenta - black pepper mantika - lard friholes - beans asiga - salt asukat - sugar mantekiya - butter yam - jam, jelly miet - honey mantekiyan kakaguates - peanut butter kesu - cheese FRUITS laguana - soursop åtes - sweetsop or sugar apple chandia - watermelon melon - melon bilembines - star apple lalanghita - tangerine kåhet - orange aga' - banana ubas - grape papåya - papaya åbas - guava mångga - mango chotda - green bananas ibba' - sour grapes anonas - custard apple piña - pineapple aga' - banana granåda - pomegranate kikamas - sweet turnip makupa - mountain apple tupu - sugar cane alageta - avocado mansåna - apple månha - young coconut niyok - coconut kåhet må'gas - grapefruit VEGETABLES tumåtes - tomato nappa' - chinese cabbage ilotes - corn on the cob mai'es - corn puntan calamasa - pumpkin tips kundot - squash friholes - beans siboyas - onion biringenas - eggplant BEVERAGES hånom - water leche - milk kafe - coffee binu - wine SNACKS & DESSERTS chukulåti - chocolate kande - candy krakas - crackers inafliton batåtas - potato chips kakaguates - peanuts empanåda - spiced corn turnover kek chamorro - Chamorro cake brohas - sponge cake apigige' - grilled young coconut w/starch kalamai - corn pudding påstet - baked turnover buchibuchi - fried turnover buñelos aga' - banana doughnut buñelos dagu - Yam doughnut Bars Shopping Driving Paseo - Stroll, cruise Authority This phrasebook is an outline and needs more content. 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